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U.S. Wants U.N. Vote This Week on Iraqi Resolution
Aired October 28, 2002 - 13:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: The nation's military reserves may get a call to arms if President Bush orders an attack on Iraq. Sources tell CNN the Pentagon has a plan to call out more than 100,000 reservists, mainly to fill main key security positions here in the states.
In Baghdad, the foreign minister says an American draft resolution before the U.N. would turn his country into an occupy territory.
Nic Robertson is in Iraqi capital. Nic, that sounds like very tough talk, an occupied nation as a result of this.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, the rhetoric, Martin, has really been stepping up at the beginning of this week, the week that Iraqi officials think that possibly the new resolution could at least be voted on. One of the newspapers here today saying that the United States was participating in terrorism at the United Nations.
Naji Sarri, the foreign minister saying that the resolution was essentially an act of colonization of Iraq by the United Nations. He said it was an insult to the international community and an insult to the United Nations as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAJI SARRI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: The new American draft resolution of the Security Council is, in fact, an insult to the United Nations, an insult to the international community, and it can be described as a war, or a declaration of war not only on Iraq, but also, on the United Nations, because this draft resolution undermines the basic principles of the United Nations' charter. It also undermines the security, relevant Security Council resolutions about Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So the rhetoric stepping up. And another point of note today, the Iraqi news agency, in reference to the assassination of the U.S. Diplomat in neighboring Jordan, saying that this happens against a backdrop of a rising wave of hate for Americans in this region -- Martin.
SAVIDGE: Nic, on another subject, a number of international journalists, including CNN staffers, have been told by the government to leave. Where does that stand right now? HANNA: CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf is on her way to the border. The day she had to leave was today. The day several others of us have to leave is tomorrow.
The way the Iraqi government has explained this, we all have visas when we come here. Previously, there's been a rule that the Iraqi government hasn't acted on. That is a 10-day rule, that once you've been here for 10 days, your visa expires. You have to get it renewed. They're now imposing this new rule that says there will be no renewals after those 10 days.
Whenever one's visa now expires, one has to leave. The Iraqi government has said that it has so many journalists here recently covering the referendum, that it was unable to manage them at times, that it says what it's trying to do is reorganize. A lot of journalists are leaving, and it appears at this time, if perhaps fewer numbers of journalists able to return. We're told, Jane Arraf has been told, I've been told, that we'll be able to reapply for our visas. We could be back as soon as 48 hours, but that's clear. We really have to wait and see on that one -- Martin.
SAVIDGE: And we'll stay in touch with you to find out. Nic Robertson, live in Baghdad, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 28, 2002 - 13:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: The nation's military reserves may get a call to arms if President Bush orders an attack on Iraq. Sources tell CNN the Pentagon has a plan to call out more than 100,000 reservists, mainly to fill main key security positions here in the states.
In Baghdad, the foreign minister says an American draft resolution before the U.N. would turn his country into an occupy territory.
Nic Robertson is in Iraqi capital. Nic, that sounds like very tough talk, an occupied nation as a result of this.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, the rhetoric, Martin, has really been stepping up at the beginning of this week, the week that Iraqi officials think that possibly the new resolution could at least be voted on. One of the newspapers here today saying that the United States was participating in terrorism at the United Nations.
Naji Sarri, the foreign minister saying that the resolution was essentially an act of colonization of Iraq by the United Nations. He said it was an insult to the international community and an insult to the United Nations as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAJI SARRI, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER: The new American draft resolution of the Security Council is, in fact, an insult to the United Nations, an insult to the international community, and it can be described as a war, or a declaration of war not only on Iraq, but also, on the United Nations, because this draft resolution undermines the basic principles of the United Nations' charter. It also undermines the security, relevant Security Council resolutions about Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So the rhetoric stepping up. And another point of note today, the Iraqi news agency, in reference to the assassination of the U.S. Diplomat in neighboring Jordan, saying that this happens against a backdrop of a rising wave of hate for Americans in this region -- Martin.
SAVIDGE: Nic, on another subject, a number of international journalists, including CNN staffers, have been told by the government to leave. Where does that stand right now? HANNA: CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf is on her way to the border. The day she had to leave was today. The day several others of us have to leave is tomorrow.
The way the Iraqi government has explained this, we all have visas when we come here. Previously, there's been a rule that the Iraqi government hasn't acted on. That is a 10-day rule, that once you've been here for 10 days, your visa expires. You have to get it renewed. They're now imposing this new rule that says there will be no renewals after those 10 days.
Whenever one's visa now expires, one has to leave. The Iraqi government has said that it has so many journalists here recently covering the referendum, that it was unable to manage them at times, that it says what it's trying to do is reorganize. A lot of journalists are leaving, and it appears at this time, if perhaps fewer numbers of journalists able to return. We're told, Jane Arraf has been told, I've been told, that we'll be able to reapply for our visas. We could be back as soon as 48 hours, but that's clear. We really have to wait and see on that one -- Martin.
SAVIDGE: And we'll stay in touch with you to find out. Nic Robertson, live in Baghdad, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
